Royal Heirs Academy

Royal Heirs Academy #1

by Lindsey Duga

American Royals meets Elite in this contemporary YA set in a glamorous boarding school where four teens compete to inherit a European kingdom.

For fifty years, King Leander Eldana has ruled Ashland without naming an heir to the crown. After sending away his grandchildren to be raised out of the public eye, it’s finally time to secure his nation’s future by appointing one definitive heir. The best way to appraise his successor? In the halls of Almus Terra Academy, a boarding school infamous for breeding the world’s next generation of leaders—and liars.

Titus Eldana has always known he’d inherit Ashland’s future. Now he must prove he has what it takes. Alaric Eldana was not raised with a silver spoon. His secondhand clothes might not be fit for a king, but he knows how to rule with his fist. Emmeline Eldana only wants to please her neglectful parents. If that means securing the crown, she won’t hesitate to destroy anyone in her way. Sadie Aurelia has no idea why she’s been given a chance to bring new blood to the throne. With nothing left to lose back home, she’s ready to take it. 

Filled with competition, secret alliances, enemies-to-lovers romance, and cunning revenge, Royal Heirs Academy is a breathless, entertaining read set in modern-day. This gossip-filled school for the global elite is inspired by UWC of the Atlantic, which Vanity Fair has described as "Hippie Hogwarts." 

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Royalty, Boarding School, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

377 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 7, 2025

About the author

Lindsey Duga is a middle grade and young adult writer with a passion for fantasy, science fiction, and basically any genre that takes you away from the real world. She wrote her first novel in college while she was getting her bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University.

Other than writing and cuddling with her morkie puppy, Delphi, Lindsey loves catching up on the latest superhero TV show and practicing yoga.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga is a captivating dive into the ruthless world of royalty, where ambition meets identity in the most compelling way! Set in the grand Almus Terra Academy, this modern fairytale draws you in from the first page. Four teenagers, bound by royal blood but worlds apart in every other way, compete for the Ashland throne in a high-stakes game that kept me reading well into the night. The mysterious King Leander has kept these grandchildren secret for years, and now their emergence creates the perfect storm of drama, intrigue, and rivalry.

The characters are brilliantly crafted, each bringing something special to the story. Titus, the polished prince, makes you question everything about leadership while dealing with his own inner struggles. Alaric steals scenes with his tough exterior and hidden depths - his character development is particularly impressive. Emmeline commands attention as the ambitious socialite, but there's so much more to her than meets the eye. And Sadie? She's a fantastic outsider whose empathy and resilience make her unexpectedly compelling.

Duga's storytelling shines through every chapter. The alliances, betrayals, and political maneuvering are masterfully executed. Think of it as The Crown meets high school drama, but with higher stakes and deeper emotional resonance. The side characters, especially Oakley and Oliver, add rich layers to an already complex narrative.

The romance weaves naturally through the power plays and politics, creating moments of genuine tension and emotional depth. These relationships feel authentic and add real stakes to the already complex web of loyalties and betrayals.

Those plot twists! Just when you think you know where the story is heading, Duga surprises you with clever turns that make perfect sense in hindsight. Each revelation adds depth to both the characters and the overall narrative.

Royal Heirs Academy is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about power, self-discovery, and complex characters navigating treacherous waters. The world-building is rich, the emotional arcs are satisfying, and the ending leaves you eager for the next installment. Perfect for fans of elite drama with a royal twist, this book delivers excitement, emotion, and intrigue in equal measure.

A solid five stars for this engaging, well-crafted story that proves there's plenty of life left in the royal academy genre when done right. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Five glittering, drama-filled, royal-worthy stars! 👑✨ This book is going straight to my favorites shelf, and I'll be shoving it into everyone's hands until they read it too!
P.S. Team Alaric forever! (But ask me again tomorrow because these characters keep making me change my mind! 😅)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Christy Ottaviano Books for sharing this very captivating journey's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

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[almas. · Rating 3 out of 5]

read on: (21.11.24.)

꒰👑꒱ royal heirs academy by lindsey duga

↪ ★★★.5 disappointed stars

i. | the plot.
----> for fifty years, king leander eldana has ruled ashland without naming an heir to the crown. after sending away his grandchildren to be raised out of the public eye, it’s finally time to secure his nation’s future by appointing one definitive heir. the best way to appraise his successor? in the halls of almus terra Academy, a boarding school infamous for breeding the world’s next generation of leaders—and liars.

🤍🤍🤍

ii. | my thoughts.
----> this could have been SO much better than it turned out to be, in my opinion! take a minute to thoroughly think about everything related to this book: the plot, the intrigue, the royalty, the boarding school, the tension - it's such a good premise, right? and it could have been executed magnificently, and honestly, it wasn't. the descriptions and landscapes/locations were wonderful, truly; as well as the names for the people AND organizations, institutions and countries. the concept of almus terra is genuinely mind-boggling; i could keep on wishing forever to be able to study in a high school like THAT. many themes were discussed throughout this book, mostly indirectly, but still. most of them revolved around the "underdogs" and the "poorer" or the "general public". i feel like the idea of the general mass revolting for better inclusion in the council (leaders) actually brings out some issues faced in politics and country-ruling nowadays.

🤍🤍🤍

iii. | the characters.
----> if i'm being honest, all the main characters in this sucked. the ONLY somewhat good/unique ones were alaric and emmeline.

𝜗 emmeline: 𝜚 she was DEFINITELY my favourite character !! i know she's not the nicest, but to be honest, that's only on the outside. all you have to do is get her talking because she cares. but noooooo she just had to be ruined and made the "bad guy". everyone just hated her for no reason other than the fact that she was goal-oriented, clear-headed, and thought best for herself. sure, that doesn't sound so good, but you really have to think of the things she's gone through. oliver though 💔

𝜗 alaric: 𝜚 IRISH GUYYYYY!! i'll be honest, in the beginning, i didn't really like him. but as the story progressed, i started liking him more and more. he would've been a much better match for sadie, but then again, i'm not the author, am i?

𝜗 sadie: 𝜚 ugh i could go on and on and on and on and on about this girl. listen, i'm usually a sucker for the underdogs rising and whatever, but sadie was just NOT it. her personality was just so annoying, like i'm sorry but i can't even talk about it.

𝜗 titus: 𝜚 hi grayson 2.0 (worse version)!! i never liked his character, and if this has a sequel, i never will, either.

🤍🤍🤍

iv. | the ending.
----> to be honest, i expected something like that to happen. knowing sadie, i just had a feeling !! all in all, it's a good book, but it could have been pulled off much better than it was. the writing is fast-paced and engaging, which is a good sign, though. if this has a sequel - which, judging by that cliffhanger, i think it will - i'll probably pick it up, too !!

xx
almas the almighty

thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Books, and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

─────────────────── 𝜗𝜚 ───────────────────

pre-review.
that was .... interesting. i have some good thoughts on this, rtc later today !! (3.5 stars)

pre-read.
GUESS WHO GOT HER FIRST ARCCCC
boarding school + YA + FRANCE (!!!) + royalty + inheritance = me core
i have somewhat high hopes for this

[soph 𝜗𝜚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

୧ ‧₊˚ Royal Heirs Academy ！

❝She was a pawn in their royal game of chess. His captured queen.❞

★ | 3.5 Stars

thoughts ᡣ𐭩 •｡💌 ꪆৎ ˚⋅
I’m positive Lindey Doug heard Pure Heroine by Lorde and wrote a book about it. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book! Lindsey Doug’s writing style was very… interesting. Don’t get me wrong, it was so pretty, but it did seem quite cringe at times, and I think that has to do with the fact she tends to cater to younger audiences with her other books. Nonetheless, it is very pretty writing. Another thing I picked up on is how hard she tried to be inclusive I love inclusivity since it’s so important for obvious reasons, but it felt like Doug was trying too hard, especially in an environment that in real life is very skeptical about things like LGBTQ+ and sometimes even color. This whole book felt like a long gossip girl episode, but they’re royalty I loved the school environment, especially since I’m reading this during the start of the school year, and the relationships in this book were so messy and interesting! Something I also picked up on is how Sadie and Titus may be endgame in the following books, though I think Alaric and Sadie made a better match. They just seemed to flow better, their conversations having depth, and we, the readers, actually got to see them get to know each other, unlike how Doug just wrote in, “Oh yeah, Sadie and Titus spent every weekend studying and are super close now!” and expected us to eat it up and have me rooting for them. Alaric is probably the best character in this book everything he did was very in-character for him, and even though I expected to hate him, he’s probably the most memorable person in this book. Emmeline is a bitch. That’s the true; there’s no way around it, though I can admire how she knows what she wants and is very determined to get it, though her acts are very ruthless and just vain, not caring about the consequences (which is kind of in character for a bratty princess). Sadie is a sweetheart, but I hope Doug doesn’t take that away, and we see some of our old Sadie in the next book, and her little stunt at the Hibernia has given me hope for that. And Lastly, Titus, who I was just so conflicted about, I liked his character there was nothing wrong with him, and his worries about his health, among other things, were very real, but I do I just liked Alric more, not sorry.

I will definitely pick up the next book when it comes out and I hope Doug gets better at how she writes teenagers since I do find it hard to believe some of these 15-17-year-olds would say any of this shit, no offense.

characters .ᐟ

E.E 🎀
Emmaline was just that bitchy brat you hate but secretly love. Like me and her have such a love-hate relationship cause she’s such a bitchy human and just does such terrible things to others yet I can’t help but love how determined she is for the crown.

T.E 👑
So golden boy was okay I mean first it threw me off he was blonde but wtv, I didn’t mind his character but the main reason he even wanted Sadie just really bothered me, and I couldn’t like him.
(I really like that he doesn’t care anymore tho maybe i’ll start liking him more)

A.E ⚠︎
Y’all I love this man. IDC IDC IDC I want him Sadie can go to Titus but Alaric is mine, like he’s not a bad person at all. He has values and morals and he stands by them and he’s also really hot so yeah, oh and he has black hair which instantly makes me like him more that Titus.

S.A 🧡
I can’t believe we never got a reveal of what happened to her mom, I mean we can kinda guess with what was revealed to us but I want the detailssss. But like wtv I hope she doesn’t turn into a total bitch next book.

Oliver 📚
Very much enjoyed his character I just wish we had more of him since Emmeline seemed so taken by him. Still, he’s a king for all he did and I can’t wait to read more about him.

Oakley ✊
Ok, activist! Um Oakley was there and she was like that character that authors pour all their inclusiveness into so she was a lot to take in but happy she was there.


book playlist .ᐟ

0:00 ❍──────── -3:84
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺

Royals - Lorde

Tennis Court - Lorde

Boarding School - LDR

Dreamer - Laufey

You Can Tell She’s A Princess - Barbie

I Hate it Here - Taylor Swift

Kingstusi - Lana Del Rey

Winner - Conan Gray

enough for you - Olivia Rodrigo

“Slut!” - Taylor Swift

You’re Just A Boy (And I’m Kinda The Man) - Maisie Peters

0:00 ────────❍ -0:00
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
VOLUME: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

❝Peace is an illusion.❞

[Payton Avila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Say hello to my favorite new read of 2025 because I am FLOORED right now.
1. My best description of the vibes of this book is (and hang with me here) Barbie: Princess Charm School mixed with The Inheritance Games if the Hawthorne brothers were all brats. 😂
2. THIS IS MY FAVORITE LOVE TRIANGLE IVE EVER READ. I feel like in most series, there is an obvious answer. Team Peeta. Team Jacob (i don’t want to hear it if you’re team Edward). Like, there is always one person who is CLEARLY superior in my mind, but not in this one. Every other chapter I was flipping between Team Titus and Team Alaric. 🤯
3. That being said, let the record show that I am ending book 1 as Team Alaric. 😂 Titus’ little declaration at the end has me excited as all get-go, but I’m ready for Alaric to step up big-time in the sequel.
4. Character-wise, can we start with Sadie??? Because I feel like she does not get the hype that she deserves. Sadie’s tragic past has only been implied at this point, but girl has really gone through it. And through it all, she came out as a kind, compassionate, and generous person. Though there at the end, she’s got nothing left to lose and she’s ready for a FIGHT. She totally OWNED that ending. I AM LITERALLY SO PUMPED RIGHT NOW!!! 😆
5. Titus…poor child. I do not condone what he put Sadie through there at the end, but boy sure had it rough too. I thought he was a surprisingly relatable character despite having very extreme circumstances. Again, I don’t condone his actions, but I sure hope he’s ready to go to bat for Sadie in the sequel. 🤞🤞
6. ALARIC!!!! I liked this guy from his very first chapter and I literally have no clue why. Also, he has an Irish accent, and I cannot help but imagine his voice as an old man and I can’t get it out of my head. 🫣 But a super cool character. I definitely want to see more of him now that he has decided to fight for the crown…and Sadie??? 😏 No one leads a lunchtime revolution like this boy right here.
7. Emmeline…no. Just no. I thought she might redeem herself by being near Oliver. I thought her family not caring might drive her closer to her cousins. I thought a lot of things about this girl, but she just kept going from bad to worse. Also, destroying the last thing Sadie had of her late father CROSSED A LINE and she wasn’t remotely sorry about it. In fact, at the end, she said Sadie DESERVED IT. So no. I see potential for a redemption arc, but girl’s got a long way to go and I’m not quite over it yet.
8. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT ENDING??? No. I will refrain from spoiling. But let me tell you that I was SHOOK. FLOORED. AMAZED. FLABBERGASTED. That was 🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌. I need the sequel IMMEDIATELY but this book, like, just came out. INCREDIBLE.

[Mackenzie Busalacchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Royal Heirs Academy is a fun YA novel filled with drama, romance, secrets, and betrayals. Emmeline, Titus, Alaric, and Sadie all receive acceptance letters to the infamous Almus Terra Academy, a school that breeds world leaders, business executives, and technology pioneers. For them, their studies are the least of their concerns, for each is competing to be named heir apparent of Ashland. Titus, who has always known about his royal lineage, is terrified of disappointing his parents, especially since they do not know about his biggest secret. Emmeline has always wondered why she was raised by nannies and assistants. Now that her parents have finally revealed themselves, she just wants to get to know them and experience a loving relationship. If being named heir is what that takes, she will stop at nothing. Alaric, who was first raised in foster care and then on the streets, is determined to make a better life for himself - and show all of the privileged elites that you don't have to be raised with a silver spoon to be successful. Finally, Sadie, who is still struggling over a recent tragedy, wants nothing more than to help those who truly need it, including endangered sea animals. Being named heir would give her the power to make life-changing decisions and help the less fortunate. When the four meet at the academy, tensions couldn't be higher.

Royal Heirs Academy has everything an exciting YA drama needs: enemies-to-lovers (to enemies?) romance, family drama, competition, revenge, and all of the plotting and scheming. The book definitely gives off Gossip Girl vibes with notes of Elite. The characters are all well-developed, and the author does a great job providing the necessary backstories for each. The author ends the book on a cliffhanger, so be warned. I cannot wait for the next book in the series! This was an easy five-star read for me!

[Charity (Booktrovert Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high expectations for Royal Heirs Academy because I’m a sucker for royal drama set in a contemporary setting. The premise sounded like something I would love, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver for me.

The plot felt like it was stuck in place, focusing more on the drama than actual story progression. While I usually enjoy some tension and intrigue, this one leaned so heavily into it that I found myself losing interest. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it just didn’t pull me in the way I’d hoped.

I wanted to love this book, but it just wasn’t for me!

Dnf'd this 52%

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one was SO much fun! I love anything royals related and have been looking for another book similar to American Royals, and I am so happy to have found this new book that seems to be setting readers up for a series.

Out of the four main characters, I probably enjoyed Emmeline the most even though I'm sure Sadie is considered to be the main protagonist. The twists were enjoyable, the writing was lovely, the pacing was quick, and the world of royals was a lot of fun in general.

Will definitely read the next book in the series!

[yasmin⭑.ᐟ (semi-ia due to parents) · Rating 5 out of 5]

🤫 ❝𝚛𝚘𝚢𝚊𝚕 𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚢❞ 🫅
╰┈➤ 4.5/5 stars ⭐

"But that's the thing rich people don't understand. When you take everything away from someone, they have nothing to lose."

damn...what was this masterpiece?!? I NEED THE NEXT BOOK STAT!!! 🫢


𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚝 🏫:
the story of "royal heirs academy" is about 4 teens: titus, emmeline, alaric, and sadie. three of them are grandchildren of the king of ashland, and one is a commoner (not related to the king by blood, but chosen because of other circumstances). they're in the race for being the "heir apparent," aka the next queen/king of ashland. the king enrolls the teens to almus terra academy, the school where all the rich people's kids go to study, and hopefully influence the future. in this book you'll find everything: drama, betrayal, romance, and even deception/manipulation. and the multiple POVs were rlly interesting!

"Always more. Never enough."

𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚜 𝚎𝚕𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚊 🇬🇧:
⤹ every single time by jonas brothers˚˖ ♫ ୭
titus has been living in london before returning to ashland. he was an okay character, i don't hate him or love him. he has health issues and parents who think he was just using it for attention, telling him to "suck it up and deal w/ it." so obviously, i felt bad for him. and also, he just wants to be loved by his parents and make them proud. but deceiving sadie into liking him romantically was not okay! you should've thought of the consequences, titus. 😃

"Do what must be done to win, Emmeline. Let no one get in your way." Then he scooped up the photographs and tapped the edge of them on the wood. "But next, don't get caught."

𝚎𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚊 🏙:
⤹ M.I.A. by KATSEYE˚˖ ♫ ୭
this little lady from new york was for sure, an interesting character! she did whatever it took for her to get the crown and i gotta admit, i was rooting for her, please don't kill me. i felt like she was the only person out of the 4 actually fighting for the spot of heir apparent! being in her POV/mind was cool, i was intrigued to see what she did next. she has been waiting ages for her parents to be in her life, but was disappointed by what her parents were like in reality, not even paying attention to her as a person, but her looks. this girl just wants to be actually loved.

"But hell, he'd wanted someone to choose him. After he'd been sitting in his room thinking about his dead mother and a father who hated him, with no one left on his side. No one ever on his side. When he'd tried to hold onto Sadie, he'd wanted her to stay. Because no one ever did."

𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝚎𝚕𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚊 🇮🇪:
⤹ you can't stop this by alex warren˚˖ ♫ ୭
this irish bad boy was living in dublin, ireland, but why isn't he living here in my arms- 🤭. i liked that mrs. duga wrote 'you' as 'yeh,' because if she didn't, i would've forgot the fact that he was irish! he stood up for what he believed in and spoke when he didn't agree w/ something/someone, which i admire! i was giggling and kicking my feet whenever he teased sadie, like why can't that be me?! 😭😮‍💨 he was as sadie described him, "a prickly cactus, tough on the outside, but sweet on the inside"- and i totally see it! but when sadie kissed titus, his heart shattered. he just wanted someone to stay by his side and love him, his flaws and all. my poor boy...😭💔 and the black hair and gray eyes combo-alaric just marry me already! 💍🧎

"But now Sadie knew better. She knew that she hadn't needed courage. She hadn't needed strength or wariness or anything else. She needed to have nothing left to lose. She needed to be broken."

𝚜𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚊 🦦:
⤹ lies, lies, lies by morgan wallen˚˖ ♫ ୭
the girl who was born and raised in ashland. sadie is probably my least favorite character in this book. she literally let everyone step on her like a doormat with titus using her feelings, lotta spilling tea on her, emmeline throwing her computer into the sea, and burning her dad's journal! i expected her to stand up for herself, but she didn't, so i just mentally facepalmed myself. 🙄 she's the underdog, but i had a feeling that she would win and she did, in fact, become heir apparent.


𝚜𝚘...𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚒 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚘𝚏𝚏 .𝟻? 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚢:
note 💌: this first part might piss some people off, so please be respectful because reading is subjective, and everyone has their opinions! don't attack me for what i think. thanks! <3
first off, there is sadie and emmeline's roommate, oakley. she mentions she has a girlfriend, so i'm like, 'oh okay then...' then, they mention it again and again, and it gets annoying.
my second reason is because they kept mentioning modern things like TikTok, Mario Kart, etc. it kept pulling me away from the story. it should've been it's own world/universe.

-----------

content warnings 👀
👑 emotional abuse
👑 parental abuse
👑 self-harm
👑 suicide ideation
👑 drinking
👑 light sexual content
👑 chronic pain
👑 mild violence

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⇢ ˗ˏˋ now playing... ⋆｡°✩♬ ♪ ࿐ྂ

Choose Your Fighter - Ava Max
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⇆ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ↻
ılıılıılıılıılıılı
ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮

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pre-read 👑:
the plot seems rlly intriguing, so if the drama isnt serving, i'ma be disappointed! 🤍☹

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4.5⭐️

"In darkness comes a queen." (The School for Good and Evil Book ?? by Soman Chainani)

That's the first quote that came to mind as I finished this. Typically, I can fly through Duga's books, but this one infuriated me so much that I had to pause every few chapters and read a different book that was slightly less infuriating. Not that infuriating is bad :)

I was hooked and dying to know more. While I'm not thrilled with the romance aspect #teamalaric, it's such a plot twist that strengthens the overall story of competition and ferocity. I'm excited to see what comes next.

Note: the minus 0.5 is due to Sadie ending up with Titus and not Alaric.

[Saaruja · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This book wasn’t what I expected and while I enjoyed it I couldn’t help but want more.

[Kate Cedras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun read. While kind of what I expected from a YA book it still kept me engaged and loving the story and characters… while finally hoping for more in this installment at the end because it just doesn’t feel like enough because it was that good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review!

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Inheritance Games meets Gossip Girl and a super fun rollercoaster!

[paige turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

HELLO!???!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

This... was a book. And it was exactly what it promised to be, minus the requisite melodrama that usually comes with this type of book. I don't know. I didn't really care for it, because I didn't really care about any of the characters. Maybe that's just the anti-royalist in me, though. It wasn't bad, exactly, so I can see how others might like it a lot more than I did.

What went wrong here, besides this book being just kind of dull? Well, there were a few major flaws (and some things that I actually appreciated), but that's all for my complete review which will be published at Gateway Reviews on January 31, 2025. Feel free to stop by!

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, sort of similar to The Princess Diaries and American Royals. We follow four teenagers as they each learn they are potential heirs to a royal throne and must compete to be named next in line.

The book has four points of view, so we get to see each character's past and motivations for why they want the throne. The pacing is quick and there's plenty of drama, including a love triangle, and deception to keep things interesting.

I hope there will be a sequel for the next semester!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Christy Ottaviano Books and NetGalley for the copy.

[Lovely Loveday]

I just finished Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga, and wow, what a ride! This book pulled me straight into a world full of romantic tension, royal drama, and juicy family secrets. Set in a glamorous boarding school, it follows four teenagers who are vying for the chance to inherit a European kingdom.

From the very beginning, I was hooked. The story took me on such an emotional rollercoaster—one moment I was swooning, the next my heart was aching, and then I’d find myself angry or even in tears. The way all those feelings were woven together kept me completely captivated.

The pacing was perfect—fast and engaging. Honestly, I couldn’t put it down. I devoured every page, and when I reached the end, I found myself wishing there was more. If you love stories with drama, romance, and twists that keep you guessing, this book is a must-read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book.

[Phoenix2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Royal Heirs Academy' is a YA melodrama.

The book has an interesting premise, that brings to mind the Inheritance Games, as our main character is selected to become the new heir to the throne despite not being royal and has to compete with the real royal heirs.

Also, it has some Gossip Girl vibes, but not enough scandal and scheming to make it as delicious and keep things interesting. Therefore, the first part of the book was rather boring, especially since it focused more on the love triangle which was way too predictable, especially when it came to whom she'd choose (I rather liked the Irish boy cause I have a thing for Irish characters).

Things got better in the final chapters, but it was also when the book ended, so it was a short-lived entertainment. Also, I loved the second female lead, as she was indeed a scheming Queen, but she didn't have enough page time.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had everything I wanted in a book about royals that was described to me as Succession mixed with Princess Diaries and Maxton Hall. The characters are well written and each has their likable quality, even the villains. Duga did a great job of building tension and leaving me wanting more. I can’t wait for the sequel!

[Grace Nean · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the heck that was so good ?!

The masks we wear. The assumptions we make of others. The secrets that dismantle.

The setting. The characters. The LOVE TRIANGLE.

I love Titus. & the way it ended. 🤤

Was very amusing to see how all screwed up they are and how their emotions would drive them to do awful things.

I can’t wait for the next book.

[Sophie May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I actually looooved this!! Royalty, family drama, boarding school…what more could you ask for?!

[Bridget Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually read YA, but I LOVED this book! Pitched as Succession meets Princess Diaries, and it is both of those things in the best way! Can’t wait to see what happens next semester!

[Bree Doby · Rating 3 out of 5]

multiple POV young adult competition books/series are going to do it every time!

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 rounded up!

Okay. Here we go. Here’s a spoiler alert because I hint at things.

Sadie!!! We love Sadie, she is a compassionate big-hearted badass.
Alaric - We are team Alaric. Love that guy. His tough but protective nature? The hard determination he’s showing? Yes.
Titus… I never knew a character could be simultaneously so strong while also being such a coward. But I will say… I love the growth he’s had. Even though he caved so easily with Emmeline, I saw the shift after. I’m excited to see how he continues.
Emmeline… We hate Emmeline- aka twisted snake. But she’s written well. Petty teenager vibes but she has the backstory to back it up. Hurt people hurt people, yanno? She got what was coming to her BUT now she has added motivation! Well written.


Other minor notes on the writing- Sometimes felt lost in the descriptive details. Minor inconsistencies. Not too bad!

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun read, looking forward to the next book in the series!

[Kathy Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eagerly awaiting the next book!!!

[Elyse · Rating 1 out of 5]

*1.75
“High school has never been so ruthless.” We might need to double check what that means because that was more boring than my high school. This was an easy read, but it was not captivating in the least bit. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen but nothing ever did. I’ll most likely give this author another chance, but this book was not my cup of tea.

[Evelyn]

Lord almighty do I have thoughts on this. Let's just say it was an experience.

[Sukhmani · Rating 1 out of 5]

I unfortunately could not connect with this story.

[Leora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for blond-haired princes, all thanks to Maxon, Jacks, and now, Titus.

[mae ♡₊‧⁺˖ · Rating 1 out of 5]

please tell me i wasnt the only one who thought sebastian and titus were the rivals to lovers subplot at first 😭😭😭